High-intensity discharge ("HID") lamps are commonly used to provide illumination over large areas. For instance, HID lamps are frequently used in industrial plants, warehouses, and aircraft hangers. However, one drawback to HID lamps is that they can require up to ten minutes to restrike after being turned off. This drawback becomes especially problematic when the voltage to illuminated HID lamps momentarily stops or dips and causes the HID lamps to extinguish. Individuals relying upon the HID lamps for light must then wait for up to ten minutes for the HID lamps to restrike.
In order to avoid these temporary blackouts and to provide illumination after the HID lamps have extinguished and before they restrike, it is common to provide auxiliary, emergency lighting with some HID lamps. These emergency lamps are commonly quartz lamps. However, quartz lamps run extremely hot with surface temperatures exceeding 600.degree. C. Further, if a substance such as grease is accidentally smudged on the quartz envelope, the temperature of the quartz lamp increases even higher. This increase in temperature can cause the quartz lamp to inadvertently explode. Also, quartz lamps are known to explode simply due to age.
When a quartz emergency lamp explodes, hot glass particles and fragments are released and fall to the floor below if not confined within the lighting fixture. These glass particles can be dangerous to any individuals or equipment located beneath the HID lamps. Even if a quartz lamp is enclosed by the lighting fixture, the explosion scatters particles throughout the fixture. This makes the replacement of the quartz lamp dangerous, and the clean-up of the fixture more difficult.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for a confinement system for a quartz emergency lamp which will neatly contain the particles from the lamp if the lamp inadvertently explodes. This invention addresses this need in the art, along with other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art once given this disclosure.